The Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1995, as amended, have devolved to local authorities all significant functions relating to the licensing of taxis, wheelchair accessible taxis, hackneys and limousines. The regulations also establish criteria which local authorities apply where the number of applications for the grant of taxi or wheelchair accessible taxi licences exceeds the number of licences being made available.
Local authorities are also empowered under the 1995 regulations to determine the fees which may be charged in respect of the application for grant and renewal of public service vehicle licences in their functional area. In the event that a local authority makes no such determination, the regulations establish a default level of fees. The administration of individual taxi licence applications is a matter of the local authorities concerned, and my Department does not have details regarding the circumstances of applicants and other aspects of this process.
The recent Government initiative to increase the number of Dublin taxis, which temporarily suspended the delegation of certain functions in relation to the Dublin taximeter area, applies fees of £2,500 for the grant of an ordinary taxi licence and £250 for a wheelchair accessible taxi licence.
